FDBusiness.com

Austrian packaging company Alpla has signed a partnership agreement with Egyptian plastic bottle and closure manufacturer Taba Group to form new a joint venture that will “strengthen its market position” in Africa and the Middle East.

Alpla will take a majority shareholding in the company, which will operate under the name of Alpla Taba. Precise details of the agreement have not been publicly disclosed.

Taba was founded in 1988 in Egypt and has two locations in El Obour, close to Cairo. The company produces plastic bottles and closures for international customers in the food and beverage industry, and is active in various parts of Africa as well as in the Middle East.

Alpla has a production site in Johannesburg, South Africa and, at the end of 2014, took over the Egyptian site of Argo SA in El Obour.

“This partnership is another promising step for Alpla to help us expand our market presence in Africa and the Middle East,” said Alpla’s regional manager for Africa, the Middle East and Turkey, Christoph Riedlsperger. “Thanks to the regional locations, we will be able to offer further benefits to our customers in the future.”